Review of Island Games

Author – Caleb J. Boyer

Island Games: Mystery of the Four Quadrants by Caleb J Boyer was an enjoyable and highly entertaining read. But let me explain my ecstatic response to a simple, fantasy adventure novel written by a twelve-year-old boy. As a primary school teacher, I am all too familiar with the obsession young boys have with this type of story. The author, Caleb J Boyer, was 12 years old when he wrote this book. He was successful beyond the wildest dreams of those young boys whose adventure stories I’ve read.

The plot is not particularly new. It was used in ancient mythologies and fairytales; it has continued to be present in contemporary fantasy, video game plots, role-playing games, shonen manga, and more. Since storytelling first began, storytellers have probably placed young heroes in strange lands, required them to fight fierce monsters, collect odd items for survival, and rescue each other from danger. That’s basically what happens in this story.

As we first meet our young heroes, they are just waking up on the Island. Their memories are sparse and fragmented. They quickly realize that they will need to search for food and water to survive; and that they must begin a quest for their way back home. Although there is plenty of adventure, this story often focuses on Matthew and Ryan’s friendship. Ryan is more impulsive and forgets to tell his friend where he is going or what he is planning to do.

Matthew, on the other hand, is more introspective and hesitant to take action without deliberation. This creates tension between the two boys. It is not giving away too much to say that they both mature as the novel progresses and that the bond between them is strengthened by the challenges they overcome together. Caleb makes clear that their successes are partly dependent on their friendship. I found his simple definition of cooperation adorable, not quite correct, but adorable.

If judged among a stack of other stories written by typical twelve-year-olds, Island Games would deserve an entire galaxy of stars. However, as a properly published book, it should be held to the same standard as other books in its genre. By that standard, I rate it as 4 out of 5 stars.The story was entertaining and appropriate for its targeted audience The writing has been carefully edited. I did not find a single spelling or grammar error. What the book is lacking, however, is the mature voice of a seasoned author. Caleb does a good job of explaining what is happening throughout the story. The dialogue between Ryan and Matthew makes clear what each boy is thinking. Our young author even attempted to write friendly banter between his characters. Unfortunately, what is sacrificed for the sake of detail and clarity is a natural voice. This is especially the case with the dialogue between the two young boys. Here is an example: “Matthew, come join me. The water is fine. In fact, it’s better than fine. It’s perfect!”

One of many slightly more believable options might be, “Matthew, get in here! The water’s perfect.”

Island Games would be suitable for an upper elementary or middle school child. It would probably appeal more to boys than it would to girls. It would also make a good classroom read-aloud for children around the ages of eight or nine because it is an accessible story that could be used as an example when teaching narrative fiction and other literacy skills. There are also opportunities for activities related to geography, mapping, and social skills. Indeed, read-aloud books of similar quality are currently used in classrooms.

This review was first published by Teresa Thompson in Online Book Club: https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/viewtopic.php?p=2470465#p2470465